I've been struggling with how to review Cloverfield. I think my issue with a "review" is that it is less a movie than another piece of the Cloverfield universe (read: I'm in too deep). As another piece of the puzzle I give it high marks. But, if you're into that, you've already seen it. And if you haven't seen it, or you're not into that, you're not reading this blog. Still, I will be telling people to see Cloverfield if only so they can decide for themselves whether to love or hate it--and in the process reward Hollywood risk-takers (which is reason enough).

My actions, however, are the real testament to my opinion of Cloverfield. When I started this blog I saw 1-18-08 as this blog's expiration date, and the expiration date of my contribution to the movie's viral marketing. I was even comforted by the idea that I could focus on bigger and better things come February 2008. But Cloverfield has changed that. Cloverfield--or rather, the myth and mystery of the creature--has become that bigger and better thing. In that respect, Bad Robot nailed it.

That is why I've decided to move up rather than move on. Between now and the sequel (or sidequel), threequel, etc., I'll be blogging all about "it" at Tagruato.

This is the best account of the Cloverfield Monster that I've seen. The tail looks a bit off, but even there I can't say for sure. Unfortunately, I can't locate the artist's page because the blogger whose blog I found it on neglected to share where he'd found it. If you know who the artist is, please leave a comment or shoot me an email so I can give the guy ("Reilly" by the signature?) the credit he deserves.

I'm going to be moving to TAGRUATO. My goal is to create a humble little Cloverfield Magazine (i.e. news, reference, community [I hope] and workshop).

11808.blogspot will remain in its current form for those of you who like the sidebars.

I'll be working on a new look for TAGRUATO including a better integration of the Tagruato Forum (which doesn't look like much just yet, but is up and running and fully fuctional). I hope to see you there.

If you're new to Cloverfield and have a question or are looking for something, post your question in the forum and I'll give you the answer.

70 points of articulation and incredible life-like detail Authentic sound 14? tall 10 parasites Two interchangeable heads Statue of Liberty head accessory Special Cloverfield collector?s edition packagingIn conjunction with the launch of the highly anticipated CLOVERFIELD movie release, Hasbro, in a partnership with Bad Robot and Paramount Pictures, has produced a super-articulated and highly detailed limited collector?s edition Cloverfield Monster.

The Cloverfield monster is available exclusively through HasbroToyShop.com. Reserve your Cloverfield monster today to have the opportunity to receive it when it ships later this year. Limited quantities are available.

Tagruato is proud to report that Ganu Yoshida, sustaining no injuries from his recent attack, is continuing his trip as scheduled. "They tried to hold down my hands," smiled Yoshida at today's BevVo press conference, "But I can still point to the stars."

Yoshida was ambushed yesterday afternoon by a radical gang as he left a important restaurant. The group was barely able to restrain Yoshida and pour a liquid over his head before Yoshida fought back, scattering the gang in all directions. Tagruato security officials believe these may be the same attackers who caused the Chuai Station incident weeks prior.

Yoshida remains in high spirits despite the incident and assures his loyalists that the stunt will not affect Slusho!'s assimilation into America. "I should really thank the criminals, " chuckled Yoshida, "Because of them, I had to postpone a meeting. Now I can extend my stay in New York. I look forward to seeing more of this wonderful city."

When asked if he feared further attacks from the radicals, who reportedly escaped after running from Yoshida's power, he responded, "No. I have nothing more to worry about from them."

In Unfiction, Gwaka has posted what he describes as "Video of the recording at the end of the credits." It is here. Taking this directly from others because I can't listen to it at work, forwards it seems to sound like someone is saying, "Help us," but Transparent Blue listened to it in reverse, and there seems to be some consensus that backwards it says, "It's still alive."

Checked Unfiction this morning only to find pirated YouTube videos. I'm not surprised or upset by this (it's the nature of the beast), and I'm certainly not one to shy away from spoilers, but it does signal a significant sea change in the character of the Cloverfield ARE for me. I guess I'm feeling just a tad bit sad is all. The end is nigh.

I've been reading them all day. The overwhelming majority are more than positive. So whatever your preferred scale, the totally unscientific average of all the reviews I've read or skimmed (upwards of 30 and counting) is: solid thumbs up, A-, 4(½) our of 5 stars, a 9 out of 10, see it on the big screen, ... You get the idea. Keeping in mind that I did stumble across a few negative reviews, so in order to achieve such a high average rating there were even more reviewers who just couldn't say enough about it.

Anyway, even though THE reviews aren't supposed to come out until tomorrow, apparently nobody thought to tell that to Google. Enjoy.

Ganu Yoshida left with much fanfare today as he boarded his private Tagruato jet that will fly him directly to New York city in the United States. He will be meeting with acclaimed CEO Glen Warner, owner of BevVo, the largest privatized water manufacturer in the world. "Glen has many ideas for distributing Slusho! through pre-established public waterways," said Yoshida, "I wanted to come here myself to discover them."

Yoshida will spend four days in New York before continuing across the United States on a tour of potential Slusho! manufacturing plants.

At least as far as I'm concerned. I've read most all the reviews that have come out. The two main catagories of reviewers so far are Cloverheads and entertainment brownnosers. Until now that is. Nicki's review posted on Dog Ear is as positive as the others (if a bit more subtle about it), but more, Nicki isn't a Cloverhead or suspect. It's spoiler free and relatively short, so no worries.

I've displayed the image small on the off chance someone who doesn't want to know happens to be reading this. Turn away now. For those of you who do want to know, click on the image for the larger version. It comes from Unfiction, where a few people who have seen Cloverfield say essentially, that with a few exceptions, this is MGP.

We’ve been laying low (those hunters are after us) but I’m sure everyone’s seen the latest drool about that putrid drink. Wake up, America’s heartland!! Ganu shouldn’t be allowed to sell anything without FDA approval. This is just another of Tagruato’s many lies. First they murdered their own workers, then they spilled their death-station into our ocean. Now they’re trying to put their garbage inside all of us…

But we’re not saying anything that hasn’t been said before. Our loyal members know the truth about Slusho. And it’s those members who are going to bring about the change.

"Members of Tagruato's elite corporate board were greeted with a rare surprise yesterday as founder Ganu Yoshida visited their emergency home screens in a simultaneous teleconferencing broadcast. After much discussion, Yoshida revealed that kaitei no mitsu, the special Slusho! ingredient lovingly known as "Seabed's Nectar", had been approved by the American Food Association.

"Those lost at Chuai would be smiling this day," commented a choked-up Ganu Yoshida, "Tagruato stands strong against the evil of ecologist terror."

Tagruato can now proceed with their extensive American campaign for bringing Slusho! to the western world. In addition to the creation of three Western-only flavors, Slusho! representatives claim that many other surprises are in store for their new audience.

"This has been a dream of ours for a long time," smiles Slusho! Administrative Coordinator Mika Srauy, "We've already secured relationships with several prominent American distributors and are compiling our own Western-oriented marketing team."

The board applauded the news, thanking their friends in foreign lands for such strong support in troubled times.

"Ordinarily there would be more happiness in our celebration but it has been a dark week," admitted Slusho! Administrative Head Ben Miyake, "I am proud to be part of such a brave company."

"Dear Friends, Supporters, Investors, and Members of the Tagruato Family,

Ever since I was a very small boy, I have had the dream of owning a company similar to this one. A company where the workers work hard and love each other. A company dedicated to making good change to our world. A company that would bring prosper to Japan and extend that wealth and knowledge into the universe.

Unfortunately, last week was a dark time for Tagruato, this company I love so dearly. I tried to contain the event for the sake of police investigation but now it is the time to come clean and tell our story to the world.

Our newest and brightest oil rigging development, Chuai Station, was attacked by a terrorist environment group called Tidowave. They released a series of explosions on the station, causing the loss of life and bringing the rig down into its knees. Tagruato has faced threats from this group for many years and has, with the help of our friends in the police forces, fought off many prior attacks. This blow, however, was too strong to miss us. The Chuai Station was damaged.

We are working tirelessly to contain environmental damage from the explosions and are already experimenting in the Atlantic for a new Chuai Station rebuilding location while our work is being continued at a temporary facility. We have also opened the Chuai Station Funds, which has currently raised over 300 million yen for the families of Chuai victims.

On behalf of everyone at Tagruato, I would extend my thanks for the overwhelming wave of support we have been receiving from our business partners, friends, and colleagues. We will not rest until these criminals are taken off of the streets and made to answer to the families of those lost at their hands. I know that, with your help, Tagruato will not falter before zealots, but will remain the company I pictured as a boy, dedicated to exploring the magic of our world and controlling the future of us all."

December the 27th, this was the situation on the Chuai maritime platform(?)This shocking scene of a group of 3-4 people at the moment of an attack was caught on a mobile phone camera.

This full details about this event have not come in, the (condition is at a standstill?) but, from a helicopter (news liaison?) person filmed it breaking and falling into the sea. 2 Japanese people from Tagruato and 5 people of unidentified nationality are missing (location unknown).

Today is the first time the (news liaison?) event has come to light.

I think it's saying that the people on the boat are unknown, but in these images the Tagruato logo is visible on group of armed men's clothing.Something about (they) are unknown, or something about them is unknown.At the end of the video, the lifeboat is fired upon by missiles but no word has been heard from them

The spokesman is just saying that there is no loss of life and the channel is reporting to have received this late.The families of the missing Japanese people have been notified, etc. The spokesman is saying that this is a difficult situation and that the environmentalist group TIDOWave is known to have been close to the scene (doesn't say on the scene)

The bit about the tanker is hard for me as it has the English from the tanker in the background which makes it hard to pick out the two languages.

It seems to be saying that at the present time it seems that this could be relation to a losing contact with a tanker on it's return to Norway from New York (or may be the other way round)

Celebration of the New Year distracted the society from the accident in the Atlantic Ocean which happened in the end of the past year. A huge drilling platform also known as the Chuai station collapsed into the ocean and sank to the bottom in several hours. The platform located in hunderds of kilometres from the american coast belonged to the japanese corporation Tagruato. At the moment the amount of people on the place of the accident is unknown. This video was got by news agencies from an anonymous source. Experts will have to investigate what exactly this footage shows. But now we know for sure that the collapse of the platform is not a result of enviromental cataclysm. Some moments of the video show that there was skirmish. All parties releated to the incident prefer to keep silence. We may only guess what happened there.

Some informational sources say that at the current moment there are ships of US coastguard but there is not official confirmation on that from the coastguard representatives.

This is the second video shot afterwards. The people on the video might be the only survivors of the catastrophe.This story has an important aspect for Russia. The Tagruato corporation has 3 drilling platforms in Russia: the Suizei station in the Okhotskoe sea, Kosho in the Chukotskoe sea, and Koan in the East-Siberian sea. The most of the crew on them are russians. Are they safe from such kinds of incidents? We may only guess who could profit from such kind of attack and hope that interests of mysterious criminals won't be applied to russian assets.

New informations on the Chuai station, the platform that sinked last Friday off the shores of NY. Images where obtained this morning at the redaction office, but we can't identify the source.

[video]

So you can see it. The images are bad and there is panic. then we can see an armed commando. And look carefully on the shoulder off the armed men, you can see the Tagruato's logo.

A spokeman confirmed that an incident occured, explosions happened on chuai, but there is no wounded person, he stated. He then accuse tido activists to be at the origin of the catastrophe. After seeing the video, the spokeman stated that 7 person are missing, but deny that those images where taken on Chuai.

The activists accused by Tagruato, belongs to an ecologic radical organization from France. We must say that interrogations are formulated against the giant mining corporation in the US. Some associations have filed legal procedures to obtain cessation of mining activity on Chuai.

Mme Leclerc's part.

The situation is unbearable for the families. Listen to the mother of a young engineer that worked on the platform. She does not have any news from her son. " I don't know what hapenned, I don't know anything, I'm not alone in this situation. Having no news of your child is unbearable. No one informing us, I don't know if he's alive, if he's lost or if we are looking for him. The media have nothing to say about this. I don't know, it's total blackout here."

Many questions remains to be answered. Tagruato have opened an internal investigation on the drama, but we have no details since the group refuse to communicate further to the press. We are ignoring if there are victims, Tagruato speak of seven persons lost, we remind you that 355 persons worked on chuai, some of them have been evacuated but how many we don't know.

The Chuai station, the petrol platform of the Japan's technological colossus Tagruato, would be exploded on December 27th in a mysterious way.

Only today, after a week, there are some info/news about the fact, even if the whole thing remains behind a curtain of mystery.

The images which are you watching, have been made during the disaster and the causes of the accident remains unknown.

The Tagruato, in a official note gave to the Japanese media, talks about an accident happened to a company's platform and point the finger against the eco-terrorist group TIDO, that in the past would have already made some damages on the platform.

But a curtain of mystery seems to cover the event: some international media are showing images made probably with a cell-phone by a Tagruato worker.You can see men with white and red clothes which are running away from something that we can't understand what it is.

From some American sources, it seems that at the moment of the disaster , the seismographers of the East-coast have recorded big and strange signals.This confirms that something unknown could be the cause of the disaster.

On the Tagruato press note we can also read that the workers of the platform are all saved and alive.

This is only the last bad thing that happened to this Tagruato's platform: in fact the platform have been alway the target of various eco-groups.

Now, the work to understand what caused the end of the platform, will be really hard for the detectives."

This is an amazing story. Three short and highly dramatic scenes have just been disclosed, which seem to be showing the total loss of a rig in the middle of the ocean. The rig seems to be Chouai Station, which lies in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and sank a few days ago, even though there’s been no official confirmation of the incident.

This is the video, shot from a helicopter which is either approaching or leaving the rig:

[footage]

This rig harbors over 300 workers and scientists. The video seems to show it breaking apart and sinking in a matter of minutes, even though this kind of modernrigs are designed to keep afloat under the worse circumstances up to 24 hours.

It’s something absolutely extraordinary. Experts are studying this footage and trying to determine the causes of this tragedy. Some sources even suggest therig may have suffered some kind of attack.

Tagruato, the Japanese company that runs the rig was forced to appear publicly and make a hasty statement when the footage was disclosed.

Their spokesperson said it has been confirmed that the Tidowave eco group was in the area when the incident took place and he maintains that the group hasinfiltrated Tagruato operations in the past causing damage. This footage, shot with a mobile phone on the rig seem to confirm this possibility:

[footage]

Whatever the cause, the violence of this event was registered by the Seismological Institute in Ribadeo (real town on the north-western coast of Spain). The scientists at the institute doubt this kind of effect can be the result of a human-made explosion.

The incredible speed, the scale of the event, and the sheer drama of this incident are clearly shown by this last piece of footage, apparently shot by some crew members of the rig while trying to escape.

[footage]

These are truly shocking images. We have no news about the fate of these people and the person who was behind the camera. We can only hope they could somehow survive. It seems…

[end]

And also, the banner on the bottom of the screen reads "A loss of jobs because of the construction's (loss) is foreseen".

About 1300 km from the coast of New York 3 days ago a drilling did sink for unknown reasons. recently we got dramatic pictures from the collapse of the platform by international news agencies. (man screams stuff i can't understand) The videos show the sinking of Inexplicable reasons which is also for experts hard to understand. at the moment of the disaster 355 workers were on board. the Chuai platform was opened in September 2007 and is one of the biggest drilling in the world. It is operated by the big Japanese company Tagruato which has it's headquarters in Tokyo. The high advanced drilling system was planned by the company Zwichau Engineering in Leipzig (Leipzig is an East-German town) under the leadership of the graduated engineer Dominik Möltken. we asked him if the collapse could be caused by a construction mistake. Dominik Möltken:"from structural reasons there are no evidences that a failure of the basic structure or of one of the security systems could cause such a catastrophe. this is just impossible. this is physically not possible."

Although the videos are of very poor quality it seems as you can notice a gun fire from the platform. In the past, Tagruato was already accused to have a big private army and experts investigate. At the moment if the escape-behavior of the crew is caused by a para-military attack.

Actual news report that people were killed, but Tagruato's spokesman denies that. Yet it is unclear if Germans were on board.

Presenter: 1300 kilometres off the coast of New York 3 days ago , unknown reason, oil rig (the chuai station) was destroyed.

we just received these recordings showing the event in progress from several international news stations.

the videos do not show any reason why this could have happened. even the experts have no idea. at the time of the catastrophe 355 workers were on the station.

the chuai station was opened in September 2007 and is one of the biggest oil rigs in the whole world. the station is run by the japanese business "tagruato" with their offices in tokyo (duh!). the highly technological advanced station was developed by the firm "Zwichau Engineering" from Leipzig (germany) under the leadership of diploma engineer Dominik Möltgen. We asked him if there was any chance something like this could have happened due to a technical construction error.

Dominik Möltgen: looking at the construction from a structural point of view there is no way such a catastrophe could have happened. there is no question..something like that is "physically impossible!

Presenter: though the videos are of very poor quality it seems like there is gunfire coming from the stations platform.

tagruato has been accused before of building and maintaining a "private army". at this moment experts are researching whether or not the chaotic escape of some of the employees can be linked to a paramilitary attack of some sort.

I haven't read it, but it has been awarded the Unfiction stamp of approval. Apparently a good primer for fans who are late to the ARE, or who don't know what ARE stands for. Read it here, compliments of Kingpin.

Do NOT return to The Farm. It’s crawling with agents on Tagruato’s payroll.

It’s a set up!!! All of our members know our goals and motivations are preservation of Mother Earth - NOT mass murder!!! Granted, we’re not upset that Tagruato has one fewer “death station”, but we would NEVER kill to accomplish our goals. This is yet another crime on humanity that Tagruato is trying to push off on the innocent.

And let me be clear: we will not stop until we find our missing brothers and sisters. We can’t give up hope.

Wait for Janice’s picture. Then you’ll know where to meet us. Tagruato’s lies will not go unpunished this time. Something happened to our comrades – and that station - and we’re going to find out - even if we have to go all the way to the top!!!

Visions of success for Tagruato's Bold Futura subsidiary are no longer limited by gravity. In its first month orbiting Earth, the satellite "Hatsui" has been at peak performance—busily collecting data and securing samples. The satellite signals the first effort by Futura's space program, and is heralded company-wide as a huge success. Images taken by it's cutting edge TagFutura KrystaLens were described by CEO Ganu Yoshida as, "a revelation in imagery." Grinning big, he added, "This equipment will open eyes to worlds never before imagined. It is a bright, united future for all of us." And he meant it. In their latest gesture to reach out to fellow man, Tagruato used the Hatsui satellite to try to identify a rogue piece that is thought to have fallen off of the Japanese Government's "ChimpanzIII" satellite. Although Hatsui’s work has not yet been able to confirm the identity of the fallen piece, Tagruato scientists and engineers are busily trying to track and recover the fragment. According to Hatsui data, it disappeared into the Atlantic Ocean late last week.

Bold Futura's Head Aeronautical Engineer Wada Arinori proudly touted the watchdog effort as the first of many. Hunched happily over a computer, he beamed, "In my 11 years for Tagruato, I see us grow in power, and also in caring. Such teamwork effort is huge stride."

Future plans for the Bold Futura space program are still under wraps. Although with the success of Hatsui and ample funds dedicated to development and galactic research, it is certain to be big. Added Yoshida, "Our first step into space was a triumphant one. Our next will be unforgettable."

Update:

There has been an altercation at the Chaui Station. Although details are limited at present time, be assured that Tagruato is taking every measure necessary to ensure the safety and well being of all staff and crew. Specialty teams have been deployed, and are working aggressively to restore harmony at the site.

The cause of the problem is currently being investigated, although it is suspected that an eco-terror cell is responsible for the disturbance.

We have top investigators on our side. Everything will be resolved shortly, and all problems will be fixed. If you have any questions, please contact us at +81-3-5403-6318 for further instructions.

How to start? Felicity was winding down when I was first introduced to it by my soon to be wife. She was a long time fan. I tolerated it. She (my wife) also introduced me to the guilty pleasure that was Buffy. Again, I was late to the party, but do tell Drew that I liked Buffy in spite of myself, and it was because of the writing. Of course I watched all of Angle. Then came Alias, which I watched from the start. I especially liked the early Rambaldi stuff. But I have to say, you lost me there toward the end. I'm rounding up or down (not sure), but I passed on the last two seasons. I suppose if I was more into Jennifer I might have stuck it out a bit longer, but she's not my type. On to LOST--and yes--I've watched it from the start and I'm still hanging in there. I guess you could say I'm into Hawaii.

So that's the concise me to you. Moving on to the subject, Cloverfield, there are a few things I want to share. They are somewhat precipitated by the grotesque paring of Fox and The Huffington Post, but only in passing, and certainly not in response. Rather, if the value of an opinion about Cloverfield has risen to the point that the MSN is cashing in on it, then I think this is as good a time as any to have one, and mine is 6 months in the making.

When the Teaser came out in July, I saw it in theaters. I thought it was bitchin. But I didn't google 1-18-08 the second I got home. In fact, I didn't bother looking it up until about a week later when an opportunity to express my disappointment with Transformers presented itself. My recollection was that the Teaser was the highlight of that particular movie going experience, and of course I turned to Google to refresh my memory before making the point. What I found when I googled 1-18-08 some six months ago, what started me down this curious path, wasn't what I'd expected. For this, however, I need to digress a bit.

Blogging, web design, herding cats, online stuff is a hobby of mine. I'd like it to be more some day, but "hobby" is what it is right now. Approximately a year and a half, two years ago, I happened upon a curiously successful blogger. His was a LOST blog. I won't link to him (because he's since become a real tool from the looks of it), but you can google "themisfitishere" if you're curious. Anyway, the guy was funny like Grizzly Man was funny. I was entertained. He also obviously spent a lot of time on his topic of choice and his blog. But what was most interesting to me was he was getting thousands upon thousands of visitors a day. Curious about the "how" as it relates to blogging, I took to lurking in the LOST universe since this seamed a potential confluence of interests for me (LOST/blogging). It wasn't difficult to figure out the how, but it was also obvious that it was too late for me to try and take advantage of the LOST phenomena, and quite frankly, I couldn't afford to match the time investment some of the established LOST bloggers and site owners were putting in.

Googling Cloverfield reminded me of those LOST bloggers and sites, but this time I was on the cusp. I knew, with JJ Abrams involved, that here was an opportunity. But there was still the problem of time investment. I didn't have it, or at least, not enough of it to compete. It was about 24 hours after passing on starting a Cloverfield blog that a way to take advantage of the buzz without having to bust my ass to do it occurred to me. I would fake a 1-18-08 site (or set up a Game Jack as I've come to know them). So I started scrounging around of available blogspots and that is how I landed 11808.blogspot. I proceeded to strip the template as best I could and create a blank/black page and made my first cryptic post. It read, "like a canary, the tide." I followed that up with this image. There were a few more after that, but as a Game Jack, it was weak. I now know it wouldn't have fooled anyone. But what it did succeed in doing was keep me involved in, attuned to, the blossoming Cloverfield universe. I'm not sure how long it took (less than a week) but based on what I was seeing (I'd been unimpressed with or uninitiated by the Cloverfield blogs I'd found), I quickly concluded that a legitimate Cloverfield blog was worth a try. And so I started The Untitled JJ Abrams Project.

From there it's blog history so to speak. It has been one long (and fun) learning experience for me. I ended up not competing, but winning that race stopped being a motivation long ago. I've learned more about my hobby blogging about Cloverfield than I'd learned in all my previous years of tooling around. I've made the acquaintance of some really good folks I would have never have known otherwise. I feel like I've played a role, albeit minor, in all of this--and there's a certain secrete satisfaction in that (don't tell anyone). I'll even say that as fun and personally rewarding as it has been, I'm ready for the movie to come out. But before this all ends, before I go back to just loving movies and Hawaii, I'd like to pretend you are listening for just a minute. If I had your ear, I'd tell you that Dennis and Unfiction make Cloverfield on the web look good. This is especially true in light of what else you can find about Cloverfield on the web. Hopefully you know that. But just in case you didn't.

Lastly, the above also happens to be my review of Cloverfield. The movie I haven't seen. But Cloverfield isn't just a movie. So 5 stars, or thumbs up, or see it.

Anyway, thanks for the ride brother. I was that dog in the back seat with his head out the window, tail wagging and tongue flapping in the wind.

Clues posts the rundown in Unfiction here. Note he catches the not so obvious change to the Investor Publications. As for the obvious updates, the 4 new Headlines are:

Smilers! at the Fish Market!

When fish gutter Yukawa Heisuke went into work this morning, the last thing he was expecting was a mouthful of delicious Slusho!. In their latest show of public support, the Slusho! Smilers hit the docks, bearing copious amounts of Slusho! brand happy drinks. Each worker at Mishima's Marina, an isolated yet bustling fishing center on the coast of Ryukyu, was rewarded for their hard work with unlimited Slusho! brand drink combinations.

Smiler! Yagi beamed, "Mishima's workers known for fishy smell; but today, they will smell of sweetness!" After passing out 6 Slusho! drinks to all, they quickly emptied out Mishima's largest fish tank and filled it with Banana Anime. In a matter of seconds, workers were splashing and laughing, taking a much deserved Slusho! bath.

And the excitement soared when Dock Captain Tanaka Jokichi threw some fish back into the tank. Amid the squealing and giggling of his crew, he noted "In my 23 years, I've not seen Yellowtail ever swim so swiftly." Within moments, the fish were leaping into the air joyously, tails flipping. Added an impressed Tanaka, "Yellowtail never jump before! This Slusho! makes all creatures overflow with happy!" He then did his best Yellowtail impression for the Smilers!, swimming wide-mouthed and gulping down all he could.

The event is the latest in a string of public outreach showings featuring the Slusho! Smilers, a friendly arm of the Tagruato Cares Foundation. Said Smiler! Niwa, "They drank Slusho! with same excitement as their first fishing catch. To be part of such a day is pay enough."

Company Picnic Packs Them In!

Over 500 thirsty employees showed up, with families by their side, to partake in the happy festivities and yummy tastes at the 5th annual Tagruato Company Picnic! The event, held at newly opened Slusho! Field in Yamato, set a watermark for the company, eclipsing last year's attendance by more than double. Company spokeswoman Suzume Soga accredited the success to the "unlimited Slusho! happy drink" that was offered to all in attendance. Adding, "This crowd is a testament to the rapid growth and expansion of this employee-friendly company".

It was indeed a true showing of Tagruato's growing strength. In front of a packed field of workers, all waiving their Slusho! cups in the air, Tagurato CEO Ganu Yoshida exclaimed, "To see all of you here together makes my heart filled with sunshine!"

The picnic also served as the inaugural event at the newly opened Slusho! Field. Unveiled to the public in December 2007, the field is part of a newly renovated park area donated to the city by Tagruato-another welcome addition to the Tagruato Cares Foundation's growing portfolio of conservation efforts. The park also features two baseball fields, a playground, and a Slusho!-themed recreation center.

And it was indeed a happy day for Jimmu Station floor supervisor Aneha Nobuo, who took home top honors at the picnic's highly-anticipated Bake Off. Amid fierce competition, Aneha's delectable "Upside-Down Pineapple Cake" won her 1st prize. Said long-time Bake Off Judge Suzuki Isoroku, "Her tasty cake will turn any frown face right into a smile one!" And the prize-a year's supply of Slusho! for her and her family-could not have made Aneha more happy. As her 5 excited children joyously hopped up and down, she screamed, "Each day is now a happy Slusho! time!"

ParafFun Wax Museum Unveiled!

Today, the Tagruato Cares Foundation unveiled its newest and most star-powered venture to date. In front of a lobby full of eager fans and employees, Tagruato CEO Ganu Yoshida revealed the ParafFun Wax Museum.

The Museum is packed with life-sized models of people and characters significant to Japanese culture, from past Emperors to modern celebrities. It stands on the foundation of the iconic Saitama Historical Center, which the Tagruato Cares Foundation generously acquired and renovated with the promise of keeping it a center of cultural learning and education.

Before cutting the red ribbon, Ganu Yoshida smiled, oversized scissors in hand, "In here, you will see people in a way never before seen!"

Ganu then lead the group on a guided tour through the museum, cameras flashing the whole way. The tour concluded at the large "Tagruato to the Future" exhibit, which displayed wax sculptures of Slusho! flavors and other key Tagruato trailblazers. When Ganu finally saw the life-sized sculpture of himself, he blushed slightly, grinning, "I think I look better in wax".

Each sculpture, made entirely of 100% ParafFun wax, was handcrafted by skilled artists personally selected by Ganu. Said lead sculptor, Tojo Kanji, "To accomplish such wax art for Tagruato makes a dream fulfilled. I will now die a much satisfied man." He bowed to overwhelming cheers and hollering from the crowd as Ganu shook his hand heartily.

This is the third such Museum of its kind erected by the Tagruato Cares Foundation, with museums in five more major cities planned. All proceeds from the Wax Museum will go directly back into the Foundation, an entity solely dedicated to the charitable trust of mankind.

Suinin Station Wins Green Award

The Suinin Station will be hauling in much more than barrels of petroleum this year. The station, which has been heralded as both a trailblazer for technological advancement as well as the highest grossing in Tagruato’s history, has been unanimously chosen by the Japanese Conservationist Society (JCS) for their prestigious Green Award. This award is the highest honor possible for a commercial extractor.

The JCS, comprised of an independent group of environmentalists, scientists, and conservationists, pick one Japanese facility each year that demonstrates "intuition in company practices and a sound devotion to ecological preservation."

JCS President Midori Yoshiaki put a friendly arm around Tagruato CEO Ganu Yoshida, saying "Tagruato has continued to show the world what it means to put conservation first, and the bottom line second. Their groundbreaking practices and generous donations serve as a shining beacon of eco-friendly commerce."

Said an exuberant Yoshida, "We have made great strides to ensure the protection and longevity of all creatures on this planet, no matter how big or small. To receive this honor is a huge step for Tagruato." After posing for a picture with the Green Award, he smiled "I must note, it is not us that deserves this award, but this great Earth in which lies our future."

The award comes on the heels of several such honors for Yoshida, whose prolific vision and guidance has transformed Tagruato from a tarnished, bankrupt company into a global powerhouse.

As many of you know, we returned from our journey late last night. There are already more rumors going around than I’d like, so I want to set the record a little straighter before all of us go crazy.

Yes, we had the coordinates correct. There’s no possibility that we weren’t in the right spot. But there was simply nothing there. No debri, no clues, no anything. Just ocean. And calls to our comrades got nothing but static.

This doesn’t mean that we’re giving up - exactly the opposite. Something went on out there. A mess too big for Tagruato to wipe up with their handfuls of money. People are going to want to know what happened to that station.